Why I Want to Win
by writerchic16
Summary: Jerry gives Alex, Justin and Max one last wizard homework assignment – write an essay on why they want to win the competition.
1. The Assignment

**Why I Want to Win**

Summary: Jerry gives Alex, Justin and Max one last wizard homework assignment – write an essay on why they want to win the competition.

A/N: I've had a bad case of writer's block lately, so when I thought of this story concept I used it as a way to work through it. Due to the nature of this story, the chapters are _extremely_ short for me, less than a thousand words for each one. This is more of an experiment for me, something new both format and concept-wise compared to fanfiction stories I usually write.

Speaking of, I already wrote the whole story in advance. Shocking, right? So you don't have to worry about this one being abandoned. Enjoy!

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><p><em>The Assignment<em>

A stack of three papers in his hand, Jerry happily stood at the podium in the lair, waiting for his kids to arrive. For the first time in years, he could act as their teacher again. Ever since the lessons stopped, none of them had ever approached him for help, not even to ask him for a spell. And he was sort of happy he no longer to fix the daily magical chaos his children seemed to cause. But he _did_ miss the magic, the connection to his former self.

"Dad, what's this about?" Alex whined as she stomped into the lair, Justin and Max right behind her. "Harper says she won't make me a 'moving out' cake until I'm finished packing."

"Well, I just care if Harper packs," Max said while he took a seat. "Since Justin's getting your room, I'm turning the basement into a play area for my hamster."

The others turned to stare at him with raised eyebrows. "You have a _hamster_?" Justin exclaimed.

"Of course. My starfish was lonely."

Ignoring that, Jerry insisted, "No one's _getting_ the basement. We're restoring it to what it was – a wasted space for useless junk we're all too lazy to throw out."

"Agreed. Since Harper moved in, our stuff's been accumulating around the house," Justin said, glancing at his father. "I noticed a radio and newspapers in the bathroom."

Alex shook her head. "No, that's for when he locks himself in there for hours so he can listen to the Mets games in peace. Don't you know anything about this household?"

"Never mind that, let's start the lesson, okay?" Jerry insisted, holding up the stack of papers. At their surprised looks, he added, "Yes, _lesson_. I know it's been a while, but a pre-competition requirement is that you all complete one last assignment. An essay."

His siblings groaned as expected, but Justin only shrugged. "That's it, really? Seems kind of anti-climactic for a big final assignment."

Passing out the papers, Jerry explained, "Well, it's not really _big_, and it doesn't even count for much..." He paused when Alex stood up to leave. "Alex sit _down_." She did. "You all have to do it, I was just assuring you that it won't affect your current standings in the competition. It's meant to help you reflect on past experiences, and get you to think about the future."

"How would writing about some important wizard in history do that?" Max wondered.

"He means it's a _personal_ essay," Justin answered, then glanced at his father. "Right?"

Jerry nodded. "Right. You title it 'Why I Want to Win,' and write exactly that. Keep in mind that this isn't a chance for you to make a case for yourself, and you don't have to impress anybody. Be _honest_. If you've had any doubts, this is where you should explore them."

Growing nervous, Justin asked, "But who's reading them? Someone has to...is it Professor Crumbs?"

"No, and here's the fun part," Jerry answered. "No one reads them."

"What? I'm not writing a whole essay if no one's going to read it," Alex protested.

"When this assignment was first created," Jerry explained, "the Council knew that it was important for young wizards to sit back and think about the competition. But they also knew wizards-in-training concerned about competition standings wouldn't be totally honest. That's why they developed the special paper I just handed out to you, which judges when you have sufficiently completed the task, and magically sends a 'pass or fail' grade to Crumbs."

"That's great, but there's only one sheet of paper here," Justin argued. "You can't expect me to write my whole life on _one_ sheet of paper."

Alex rolled her eyes. "_Such_ a _dork_."

"It's an essay, not a diary. You only get one piece of paper," Jerry told him.

Max frowned. "I don't get it. What do you mean, 'Why I Want to Win'? Magic is cool. Of course we all want to win."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me," Alex agreed.

"Well, think about it," Jerry insisted. "You have a week."


	2. Justin

_Why I Want to Win_

An essay by Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo

Power is defined as an "ability to act or produce an effect, legal or official authority, capacity, or right, and possession or control, authority, or influence over others." And that is what winning my family's wizard competition would mean to me. Of course, the actual powers themselves are a bonus – I prefer magical transport since the subway is incredibly unsanitary. But for me it is more about the automatic respect granted when one becomes a full wizard.

My life has been full of many ups and downs over the course of my training. In my early teen years, I was always in the lead, the sibling destined to win. I'm smart, studious, and a hard worker. My siblings have none of those qualities. Okay, I'll admit that Alex can be smart when she chooses to be, but most of the time she makes impulsive decisions that get her in tons of trouble. And Max...he claims he only plays dumb, but I'm not sure how much acting he really has to do, if you know what I mean. They have their good points...I think...but they were never a real threat. Becoming family wizard required book knowledge they would never acquire.

That superiority gave me confidence. It gave me pride, comfort, and enhanced my already-advanced education. _I was going to be the family wizard._ I'd be a highly regarded member of magical society, consulted by the Council, maybe campaign for office myself. And all the wizard girls would totally dig me. I've had nothing but heartbreak in the romance department, so settling down in a predictable relationship with a nice wizard girl might not be such a bad idea. True, the heart wants what it wants – I certainly never would've chosen to fall for a vampire, but it happened. However I've heard that a matching site on the world wide wizweb is _great_ for pairing future family wizards...

Anyway, back to my training. Everything was fine until _the test_. I'll admit, falling for that whole alien story wasn't my best moment. But despite what Alex says, I think it was a pretty convincing lie that _anyone_ could've believed given the right state of mind. Every single member of the Alien Language League would have done exactly what I did. So really, knocking me down in the competition was actually a reprimand for my belief in extra-terrestrials, which is a type of prejudice that shouldn't be allowed.

See? The whole test was specifically designed to trip _me_ up. This is so unfair, because it _should_ have been an impersonal, objective judgment. Why weren't any of the challenges tailored to Alex and Max, huh? It's always the most talented one who gets punished.

And I still don't understand why Max was allowed to maintain his level. Yes, Alex tried to expose magic to the world when she should have made a plan to help those wizards some other way. But Max just _didn't do anything_. Is that what the Council is teaching the next generation of wizards, that passivity should be rewarded? I think Max should've at least been forced to turn in a report on what he would have done after Alex exposed magic. It's not ethical to reward an undeserving person simply because those around him have failed.

...that last line would make an awesome quote, right? I'm so blogging it later.

Now, other wizards-in-training might have given up. My sister certainly did. But no, I recognized that I would have to prove myself even more than I already had. Even though I'd already been a successful monster hunter, I took it upon myself to teach a group of delinquents who had no hope of ever getting back into Wiztech. They were a disorderly, lazy bunch – my sister included – who didn't believe in themselves. But after months of my careful, attentive tutoring helped them all reach their full potential. Felix, my star student, even discovered he's the descendant of Rinaldi.

Note, all this was when I should have gone to college. Yes, I put aside my own mortal future in order to focus on my magical one, even though studying at a major university had been my dream since I was young. Alex made that clone of me, but I still want to go, maybe speed through a basic program so I can get my masters. Even when I do win the competition, I'll probably spend another few years in the mortal world earning my degree.

Again, Max did nothing. There was no planning for the future or working to improve himself. He even tried the underhanded move of changing the competition date. And Alex won Wizard of the Year for "saving the world" when all she really did was show up, then bring the compass back to angel headquarters. Big deal. I still don't understand how she won that award when there are much more accomplished wizards out there.

So, my task is to explain why I want to win the wizard competition. It's because _I'm _the only one who really deserves it. _I _did everything I possibly could to ensure my standing. _I _read ahead in wizard class, memorized every spell I could, _and_ went the extra mile even when I felt like the world was against me.

But most of all I want the respect, to prove everyone wrong, to show once and for all that I'm _not_ a screw up. As a full wizard, no one would ever look down on me again. I'd never be laughed at, made fun of or ignored. Other wizards would listen to me and want my opinion. I'd be able to change the world if I wanted. Plus, there's happiness too. Winning would definitely make me happy. It's a simple emotion, but I haven't really felt it in a long while.


	3. Max

_Why I Want to Win_

by Max

I still don't understand this question. Why _wouldn't_ I want to win? Doesn't everybody?

...So, I asked Dad, he told me to at least try. Well, here I go.

Magic is cool. _Everyone_ thinks magic is cool. Except for Mom, but she's mortal. I've had magic for as long as I can remember, since I only remember up to like five years ago now after losing my memory in Puerto Rico kind of messed with my head. I don't use magic for learning like Justin does, or for getting in trouble like Alex does, but I use it all the time for a bunch of stuff. Mostly when I want to go somewhere, or change my clothes in the morning, and once in a while for big stuff like making Talia's parents forget meeting my parents (okay, that one was Justin, but he did it for me). Life without powers would probably be much more complicated, especially when I forget something important and need magic to fix whatever I screwed up.

And...yeah, okay, I also want to win so that Alex and Justin lose. They're my family, but sometimes I get the feeling that they don't notice me, or think about me when I'm not around. Sure, Justin helps me out sometimes, but usually he's busy with robots, hanging out with Zeke or whatever nerdy thing he loves at the moment. And both of them still don't consider me a threat even though I was in the lead for a long while. Sure, Justin's smart and Alex is devious, but I could win too. I'm unpredictable, which means I can be whatever I want to be depending on the situation. That might work for me in the competition, since it did for the test. I mean, I _always_ fail stuff, but somehow I was the only one who got to keep my level. Smarts and deviousness must not be everything, right? I have other good qualities.

I'm not sure what those are, but I think I do. Why would Talia go out with me if I didn't?

As for Talia, I'm not really worried about our future. We're teenagers – who knows if we'll last for another month, never mind get married. Of course I hope we stay together for a long time, but I'm not going to give the competition just yet because I _might_ have to give up my powers to stay with her. And I'm not even sure she's mortal. Okay, I'm _mostly_ sure, but you never know. She probably thinks _I'm _mortal even though I'm not, so she could be keeping something from me too.

That would be so awesome! I should ask her if she's a mermaid. If not I can just say I was kidding. She likes it when I'm funny.

Plus, if Alex or Justin won the family powers...they won't need me in the future. They don't need me now and they never have, but we've always lived together, so they had to pay attention to me. I don't think about the future a lot, but I do wonder if I'll ever see them again after I move out of the house (which might be before Justin at this rate since I'm still not sure what's going on with that). I've been wondering about this mostly because of Alex getting her own apartment. Will I ever see her? Will she call? I doubt it. Maybe I'll visit her, but I have a feeling she won't want me there.

Unless she needs me, and that will only happen if I win the family powers. Justin and Alex will be nice to and care about me if they want me to do a spell for them. So maybe that's the real reason I want to win the competition. Yeah, the respect will be nice, but...I'm just looking forward to spending time with my brother and sister again.


	4. Alex

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Max's has been the more popular one so far, but I wouldn't change anything about Justin's either since my main goal was to write in the character's voice as well as I could.

Here's Alex's essay, then there's one more wrap-up chapter. Enjoy!

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><p><em>Why I Want to Win<em>

by Alex Russo

This is such a stupid question. It's like asking, "So, why do you want money?" After using magic every day for years, how could someone just let it go without a fight? Okay, sure, the whole driving incident helped me realize that I'd probably be fine without powers. But I still _want_ them. How else would I change my hair every week, or do my make up, or get places? I do _not_ like to walk.

True, I was ready to give them up when Max took the lead in the competition. But that was different. I had _no_ chance of winning, so why waste the time and energy trying? I'm not book smart like Justin where I'd be able to figure out some loophole or who to ask for help. So instead of convincing myself that I still could win, I just...quit. Why bother? Better start getting over magic now and deciding what I would do as a mortal. If not Max, then Justin would take the lead before I ever could.

Then...well, I got back in because of Mason. And I stayed in because I won Wizard of the Year. I guess I don't need to win for Mason anymore, but I still want to...mostly. I'm not looking forward to the actual competition, and then maybe, probably losing. But...an extended lifetime of magical adventures is worth it, right? Who wouldn't want that? If I have the chance now, I have to at least give it my best effort. Otherwise I'll never forgive myself for backing down when I could have won the whole thing. And it's a long shot but I kind of think I can, maybe. Max is Max, and Justin hasn't really been in his right mind ever since he lost Juliet.

Honestly, I don't think I'd be _that_ upset if I couldn't keep my magic. Other than Mason all my boyfriends have been mortal, so I'll probably fall in love with another one eventually, then I'd have to give up my powers anyway. Plus I think Justin just _wants_ it more than me or Max. Like I said, he's pretty messed up these days and has been obsessed with the competition even before he failed the test. He'd be a sad, broken person if he lost. Justin has wanted to be a full wizard his whole life. Me, I'd be fine if I got back into my art, opened my own studio, and married my soul mate...whoever he might be. And I think Max would be happy working at the Sub Station. He might even marry the girl he's dating now some day, and she's mortal so he couldn't keep his powers either.

...oh, what's her name? Starts with a T, I think. Well, he should probably stay with what's-her-face if she's been able to stand him this long.

But this essay is supposed to be about why I _want_ to win. So here it is. I want to win because magic is awesome and I love having powers. I'm in the competition, so I have to try. It's just expected of me, by my siblings, my parents, and the magical community. Plus I can't just hand the family magic over to Justin or Max. That wouldn't be any fun at all.


	5. The Promise

A/N: Thanks for your great reviews everyone! RockGod, glad to hear you have your own theories, as that's what I'd hoped this story would do. And "Diana," whoever you are, your review was amazingly sweet and pretty much made my week, thank you!

Enjoy this last chapter!_  
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><p><em>The Promise<em>

A week later, Alex, Justin and Max gathered in the lair, holding their completed essays. While their father wouldn't be reading them, Jerry still needed to check that the pass or fail grades had been sent in. Slightly awkward thanks to knowing what they'd written, the wizards had carefully folded up the papers in fear that the others would see their very personal confessions. "So, uh..." Max uneasily began as he avoided all eye contact. "What'd you two write about?"

"Stuff," Alex quickly replied.

Justin nodded. "Yeah. Stuff."

"Oh come on, I'm not the only one who wants to know, am I?" Max insisted. When there was no response, he sighed. "Fine, I'll go first."

"Max, you don't have to..."

"I want to," Max said to his sister, who became quiet to let him speak. "What I wrote...was that I'm afraid if I lose, neither of you will spend time with me in the future. We all live together now, but...I worry about that sometimes."

Surprised, Justin and Alex traded guilty looks, then Alex went over to hug her little brother. "Aw, I'm sorry Maxi," she replied. "Of course we'll see each other. Definitely on holidays..."

"Well, unless we eventually get married and go to our spouse's family," Justin reminded her.

"True, there's that, but maybe one of us could start hosting holidays..." Alex chuckled. "Yeah right, like that's gonna happen."

Max frowned. "We're not even there yet and you're already making excuses not to see me."

"It's not 'making excuses,' it's being realistic," Justin argued. "Siblings drift apart. _Especially_ wizard siblings. Look at Dad and Aunt Megan."

The comparison made Alex tense. "Don't compare us to them. We're closer than that, aren't we?" When the other two didn't reply, she sighed. "I know we are. We've been through too much not to be. And we _are_ going to stay close in the future, even if we have to make an effort." She glanced at Max, who seemed doubtful. "I promise. Really."

"Thanks." Then they both looked at their older brother.

Though a little reluctant, Justin said, "Yeah. I promise too."

"You don't sound too enthusiastic," Alex pointed out, annoyed.

"I am! It's just...okay, you know that you're family and I lo..." Justin trailed off, suddenly _very_ uncomfortable. The other two nodded, acknowledging the unspoken sentiment. "But let's face it – we all live our own lives _now_. Who knows how further apart we'll be in five, ten years? And depending on who wins the competition and how that turns out, there could be a lot of resentment."

Alex shrugged. "There could be. We'll just have to work through whatever stands in our way."

"Thanks," Max repeated, then asked, "So...what _did_ you write about? Now that you know mine."

"Oh, you know me. Whatever was on my mind at the moment," Alex fibbed. "You didn't think I'd actually put any thought into an _essay_, did you?"

Max laughed. "Yeah, that's true. What about you, Justin?"

Unsure of how to answer, Justin looked down at his paper, then back up again. "I... I wrote about the last year, I guess. What I've been feeling. How I think magic would finally make me happy."

Alex patted him on the shoulder, sympathy in her eyes. "Yeah. I think it would." Aware that her words might reveal how _she_ truly felt about the competition, she quickly shook off the emotional moment. "But I'm still going to crush you."

"You can try," Justin retorted, smirking.

"And I'm gonna crush _both_ of you," Max insisted. "You better watch your backs. You might not think so, but I _can_ beat you...I'm pretty sure, at least..."

Justin and Alex chuckled. "We know, Max," Justin replied. "It's an even playing field now. There's no way to predict who will win. Of course, I _am_ the smart one so I have an advantage..."

"Yeah, but you're too logical and 'inside the box,'" Alex reminded him. "We're not. So one of us will win."

"Hah! I'd say the Council values book smarts and logic more than..."

"Please, you wish! If the test was about that, then why'd you fail, huh?..."

"Yeah, I _won_ that test, so if anything that means I'll win this too..."

And the three continued to go back and forth, pretending that their buried issues didn't exist at all.


End file.
